St Mary’s Croyde DHCT Case Study

During late Autumn 2024, there was a storm with winds unusually from the North. Part way through
a service one Sunday, we could hear some dripping sounds, the rain was coming in from the gully on
the rear of the church; we grabbed some bins & bowls to catch the water that was coming in.
We had a couple of slates replaced, which ended up as a temporary fix, as it wasn’t long before we
had buckets back in place.

To ensure this wasn’t just a short-term fix, it would be necessary for the slates on the lefthand side
of the gully to be removed as there were still a number of broken slates and many nails that had
rusted through, which in turn had resulted in rotten batons and holes in the leadwork, all of which
needed repairing or replacing before the slates were re-layed. We had also identified that the barge
boards & capping boards on the whole of the rear roof were rotting, so we needed to have this work
done at the same time – with the total estimated cost being just under £6,000, including VAT.

This unexpected cost was beyond the congregation and in need of urgent attention so we appealed
for help to our local community through our parish magazine who generously gave £3,800, some of
whom have no direct association with the church. We also secured a grant of £500 from Croyde
Area Residents Association. Our application for an emergency grant of £1,000 from DHCT was
approved which enabled us to instruct the roofers to start work; we anticipate the VAT being paid by
the LPW grant scheme.